A Columbia University publication has become the first undergraduate periodical to be commercially distributed nationwide, according to its publisher.

Journal of Politics & Society

The Journal of Politics & Society is now available at Barnes & Noble and other major bookstores, including 351 in 46 states, reported publisher the Helvidius Group, an undergraduate student-run organization advised by the Department of Political Science and governed by the Activities Board at Columbia and Student Development & Activities. The journal focuses on undergraduate scholarship in the social sciences, providing undergraduates the rare opportunity to be published in a professional, peer-reviewed journal.

The distribution agreement, 18 months in the making, represents an unprecedented achievement for an undergraduate organization, said Jacob Weaver, editor in chief.

“We are proud to join the likes of Foreign Affairs and the Columbia Journalism Review on bookstore shelves with this venture,” he said. “The Journal of Politics & Society looks forward to bringing the best in undergraduate scholarship to a much broader audience.”

The Helvidius Group views this initial distribution effort as a market test. If distribution proves financially sustainable, the journal has the potential not only to continue to attract a much wider audience, but also to pave the way for other high-quality student publications to reach the general public, particularly at Columbia, said Robert Taylor, director of Student Development & Activities.

“This distribution arrangement presents a great opportunity for the work of Columbia University student publication groups to gain wider exposure,” he said. “It represents the great potential for the professional development of our undergraduates.”